My '69 charger restoration / conversion to clone R/T / ...

[UH60L]

Thanks everyone.  I have an appointment for the 20th to have the back glass installed.  I'm still getting some needed parts for the side glass.  I started working on the wing windows and realized I have the rubber seals but  not the weather stripping that the glass actually sits in or the plastic parts for the pivot point.

There's always something but at least I can drive it now.  I did the first oil change after 500 miles and not even a hint of metal in the oil, looked really clean.  I don't want to jinx it, but for my first complete engine build, it's really gone well so far.  The only real issue is an oil leak at the pan (probably over tightened the pan and then it sat for 8 years).  Otherwise it runs and sounds great!

I always thought it would be great if someone sold complete OEM style seats for these cars that you could just bolt in, but no luck finding any.  I did find some buckets that look almost stock and only cost about $250 each.  I'm thinking about buying a pair of those to run in the car until I can afford to properly restore the original style seats that I have.

[UH60L]

Well, got the rear glass installed, but it's not perfect.  The body shop didn't do the best repair job, and when the window guys were trying to drill the clip holes they kept hitting the edge of the new sheet metal and the bit wanted to walk.     

At least it's finally in there, but it's got gaps at the bottom corners...

[UH60L]

I haven't officially updated this thread in a while.  Figured I better catch it up a bit.  I haven't gotten nearly enough done on it the last two years...


In the spring of 2017, I finally got the decals installed.

[UH60L]

Unfortunately, about a week later, I noticed that the shop that installed my decals actually dinged the paint just behind the driver's door...    I don't have the time or money to repaint half the car to fix it...  (not to mention they'd have to remove most of the decals to repaint in order to blend, what a pain...)  I'll just have dabbed at the shop that painted it... sucks but that's life.  The car isn't perfect...

[UH60L]

In June of 2017, I became a grandpa!  My granddaughter was born 20 minutes before father's day.  My youngest son is stationed in Hawaii, so we went and stayed for a month to be there for the birth.  While I was there, I got to go for a ride in something that I figured most people on here would appreciate.

It's not a Charger, but it's from a tv show on around the same time as the Dukes.  We took a helicopter tour of the north shore, and the tour company just so happens to have a Hughes 500 painted like the ones used on Magnum P.I.!  So of course I had to buy an accurate red Magnum shirt and ballcap and some tan shorts for the ride...  :-)


They even got the actors who played Rick and T.C. to sign the nose. (Larry Manetti and Roger Mosley)

[UH60L]

On the 3rd of July 2017, I got the horns installed.  Still having issues with the horn button though.  I have to ground out the horn on the outside of the column.  I think the painless wiring harness I installed powers the horn backwards or something...  when the button is pushed nothing happens...  so the button stays off for now... 

[UH60L]

On the 4th of July 2017, we drove the General in the parade in the little town where my high school is, Gervais Oregon.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the car, especially when I hit the horn.

[Bronzedodge]

May 28th 2016, it suddenly occurs to me that I now own the General Lee and Uncle Jessie's truck (sort of...).  Time to buy a yellow Roadrunner?

Yes!  Buy your wife/girlfriend/significant other a Yellow RR!

Charger looks great!

[orange383]

That's a real nice GL. Well done for keeping at it over the years!

[UH60L]

It's been over 4 years since I was on here...  Lots of things have happened since then.  In late summer of 2017, on our way to a car show, the rear diff ate itself on the freeway.  I limped it the last 3 miles to the car show and won an award anyway!  Then we drove it 3mph holding the brake pedal the whole way back home.  Since then It's just been sitting in the garage mostly.  I got a new job and we bought a house roughly 20 miles away with a bigger garage (woohoo) and also a 2019 Challenger!

[UH60L]

Finally, after almost 6 years, I'm taking the rear diff to a shop to get rebuilt this coming Monday!  Oh yeah, and I got new custom license plates :-)

[UH60L]

After sitting for 6 years, it's finally back on the road!  I know a guy who has a knight rider car, and today I swung by his shop and took a few pics with our cars nose to nose!  All we needed was the A-team van and an Airwolf helicopter...

[b5blue]